


In the Frosty Air

by JadeJem



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akuma Battle, Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Chat saves Mari's life AU, F/M, Love, Marichat, Marinette is such a sucker for sweet guys with blonde hair, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, Requited Love, fluffy marichat, so much marichat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-07 01:33:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13423890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeJem/pseuds/JadeJem
Summary: In which Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Chat Noir have continuous run-ins with one another until it becomes a regular occurrence.





	1. What a Bright Time

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, loves. Just posting this here from Christmas! Have a two part collab by my friend Luna and I. 
> 
> Enjoy. ;)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Having fun?" he shouts, barely audible over the howling wind.
> 
> "Totally!" Marinette replies with just as much vigor, sarcasm dripping from her tone.
> 
> Chat whoops, energy practically rolling off of him in gargantuan waves. Marinette finds a giddy smile stretching her face, her demeanor completely affected by Chat Noir's enthusiasm.
> 
> 'He handles being a superhero so much differently than I do,' she notes thoughtfully. 'I see it as duty, and he sees it as—'
> 
> "CHAT! OH MY GOD! TOO HIGH, TOO HIGH—AHHHHHH!"
> 
> '—fun.'

Marinette practically glows in the mid-day snowfall. Glows red, anyway. Winter has always been her least favorite season because she has to bring blankets to wear around school on top of the 4-5 layers she manages to slip into. She has so many articles of clothing on, she nearly waddles around!

So when the snow finally lets up towards the end of the day, she grins and sheds two layers.

"Hey," Alya exclaims animatedly, "where'd the fabric store with legs go?"

"Ha-ha," Marinette drawls sarcastically, falling into a fit of giggles when Alya pokes her in the side. "She's off celebrating the fact that the snow has finally stopped."

"For now," Alya tacks on to the end of her sentence, winking before laughing at Marinette's expression.

The two walk alongside one another down the steps of the school, kicking up patches of snow as they go.

Marinette startles and faces Alya, sudden panic reeling in her chest. "Can I borrow your History textbook? I left mine inside!" she explains flamboyantly, waving frantically at the school behind them.

Alya cocks an eyebrow. "Just go get it."

"Noooo," Marinette whines, vaguely waving a hand at the double-doors. "It's too far."

Alya purses her lips and rolls her eyes. "Okay, lazy-bum." They come to a stop in front of a stone ledge, and Alya begins digging through her bag. After another moment or so, she pulls out the _'L'Histoire de France'_ textbook and hands it over. "Try not to lose it."

"Wha—ah! I don't lose everything, Alya!" Marinette insists in a mock-shock tone, grabbing the textbook and shoving it in her light pink bag.

"Mhm," Alya hums, clearly unconvinced. "Well, I gotta get going. Can you return it tomorrow morning?"

Marinette nods. "Sure. Thanks for letting me borrow it, Alys," she says gratefully, smiling brilliantly at her best friend.

"Yeah, yeah." Alya waves her off, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Now get going before it starts snowing again."

They share a laugh before Marinette turns and starts making her way home. She pulls the door open with a smile, and the entrance bell rings sharply overhead. The small foyer is super warm and cozy thanks to the hot ovens, so Marinette sheds another layer as she jogs up the stairs in the back of the bakery and into her living room.

"Maman! Papa!" she calls, tossing her bags and extra pieces of clothing at the couch. "I'm home!" She jogs back down the steps and into the bakery.

Tom comes bustling out of the kitchen, four boxes with her family's boulangerie logo on them in hand. He has a phone pressed between his shoulder and ear, and he's speaking in rapid french.

"...wonderful! I'll have them delivered to you by six. Mhm... yep! Great, okay. Have a nice day." Tom's gigantic figure bends down to the level of the counter and lets the cellphone fall onto the marble surface. He straightens, then finally looks down at his daughter. A colossal grin stretches his warm, burly features, and he leans down and plants a sloppy kiss on Marinette's forehead. "Marinette! How was your day?"

"Freezing, Papa," she giggles lightly, going up on her tiptoes and pecking his cheek. "Need any help with deliveries?"

Tom grimaces and glances back into the kitchen. There's a sudden crash, and he jumps and nearly drops the boxes of cakes. "Well," he hesitates, "there is one delivery that's a little out of my way."

"No problem! I just need to know which subway route to take," Marinette volunteers willingly, smiling up at her father.

He sets the cakes down on the counter and places both hands on her shoulders. "This delivery is going into a slightly scary neighborhood, Marinette. It might be too dangerous for you."

 _'I fight crime part-time, Papa,'_ she wants to say. Instead, she bites her tongue and bats his worries away with her gloved hand. "I got this. I can throw a good punch." To prove her point, Marinette gets into 'ready position' and throws a fake punch.

Tom laughs and eyes her before finally saying, "Alright. Just be careful, okay?"

"You can count on me," Marinette states proudly, placing her hands on her hips.

And with that, Tom hands her the box containing a three tier vanilla cake. He plants another kiss on her forehead before letting her go. "Be safe," he whispers quietly. Marinette sends him a final smile before making her leave.

She pushes the door open with a grunt, and it slams shut behind her. She cringes and waves apologetically through the window at her father, who grins and waves back. Marinette fumbles with the box before maintaining her balance again and laughing nervously.

Spinning on her heel, Marinette begins whistling a little tune as she strolls around the corner and down the road, the large box pressed against her chest.

Her small purse rattles against her hip, and Tikki zips out. "It was really nice of you to volunteer to deliver this cake for your dad!" she compliments in her bell-like voice, bringing a smile to Marinette's face.

"Well, him and Maman have been pretty busy lately, what, with Christmas only a few weeks away," Marinette says, shrugging. "It was the least I could do."

Tikki jumps into the breast pocket of Marinette's peach coat when the wind begins to blow a little harder.

The scenery gradually changes, and Marinette finds herself rounding a dodgy street corner with a grimace of displeasure. Tikki had drifted off a long time ago. Ladybug tendencies, Marinette guesses. Winter is never an easy season for the poor Kwami.

Marinette glances at the address written in her mother's beautiful french script again and searches the houses for numbers. Every step she takes squelches unpleasantly in the dirty snow, echoing in the silent clearing devoid of any living soul. She jumps when a gigantic dog practically attacks a fence, barking obnoxiously and trying to break through and sink its teeth into Marinette.

Her pace picks up until she reaches the end of the street. She looks between the written address and the rickety old apartment complex before tentatively opening the wired fence gate, careful not to prick her finger. The cement path paved ahead of her is covered in dead grass and dirt, and Marinette is careful avoid tripping over jumbled bits of god-knows-what.

When she finally arrives at the front door, she searches for a doorbell to ring. When she doesn't find one, she knocks, cringing when flecks of chipped paint flutter away with the howling wind.

The door opens with a resounding creak, and a woman with knotted hair pulled into a bun steps out from behind it, the apron wrapped around her torso covered in old stains and dirt patches.

"Oh!" the petite woman exclaims hoarsely, her dark eyes lighting up with faint excitement. "Yes!" She turns around and calls out to someone behind her. "Jer, it's here!"

"What's here, Momma?" Marinette's heart aches at the sight of the ratty clothes hanging off of the little girl's shoulders. She can't be more than 6.

"The cake your mom and dad got for you guys!" Marinette chimes sweetly, bending down to the little girl's height and pulling the lid off of the box.

The little girl's eyes sparkle magnificently in the dull light. "A cake?" she gasps, her tiny little fingers poking the cherry sitting on the top tier of the cake.

"Yep!" Marinette smiles. "And no charge!" She stands to her full height.

"Oh, no. That's okay, dear," the mother says quietly, stepping to the side when her husband comes to stand next to her. "Let me just fetch my wallet."

"No, really," Marinette insists, holding the cake out to them like an offering. "No charge."

The man takes it, blinking in astonishment. "Thank you, young lady. What's your name?"

"Marinette," the girl herself says brightly, her smile stretching when the little girl comes bouncing out and hugs her leg. "And what's your name?" she asks the small girl.

"Me? Oh, I'm Madeline," said girl states, grinning toothily up at Marinette. "You're so pretty!"

Marinette feels the blood rushing to her cheeks and bends down again, whispering, "Not as pretty as you." She winks and laughs when Madeline starts giggling hysterically.

"Thank you, Marinette," the woman murmurs quietly, a small smile stretching her tired features.

Marinette stands and smiles sympathetically. "Of course. Bye, Madeline!" She waves to the family, her heart warming as she turns and walks back down the pavement clad in weeds and brown grass.

It's only when she's rounding the corner that Marinette feels a weird tingling sensation on the back of her neck; almost as if someone is watching her. She shivers, and the baby hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She rounds the corner into an alley and frowns.

_Oh crap, I think I'm lost._

She shoves her hands into her jean pockets to stop them from quivering with nerves. It's just her imagination playing tricks on her. Marinette shakes her head and glances down at her breast pocket. Tikki lays there, curled up, and still fast asleep.

_Guess I can't transform._

Her footsteps increase and volume, and the crunching begins to sound almost like... an echo. She abruptly stops walking, but the crunch still comes. Her breath catches in her throat.

_Stay cool. You're okay. Just... run!_

And suddenly, she's off.

The icy wind sticks in her lungs, causing her breath to come out in desperate gasps as her arms pump. The crunches of footsteps sloshing in the snow echo off the sides of building from behind Marinette, and she pushes herself to the edge, full-on sprinting as fast as she can.

She rounds a corner and realizes a little too late that she's trapped.

A brick wall looms over her, and she frantically searches for a fire escape or something she can climb to continue running from the mysterious person following her.

If only her luck was with her.

She whirls around when the footsteps slow to a steady rhythm.

_Crunch. Crunch. Crunch._

Marinette's heart leaps into her throat when a hooded figure brandishing a pocket knife rounds the corner. She hurriedly turns around and moves Tikki into her small handbag before shoving it into the front pocket of her jacket.

The footsteps stop.

The only sound filling the space between them is the man's ragged breathing.

Fear pulses through Marinette like the blood coursing through her veins, and her breath hitches when she turns around to face him again. "What do you want?" she asks boldly, her confident tone betraying her nerves and terror.

"Give me your purse," he orders gruffly, his voice reminding Marinette of gravel grating against steel.

She grips the front pocket of her jacket where the handbag lays with Tikki in it. "I can't," she says quietly. "Anything but that. Please."

"Give me your purse," the man repeats, the menacing note in his voice making the alarm bells go off in her head. He takes a step towards her, and she takes one back.

"Please," she begs. "This coat is worth more than I have in my purse."

He bares his yellowing teeth at her in a twisted grin. "Give me the damn purse, little girl."

"No," Marinette states defiantly, stepping back into 'ready position' in case he decides to attack. No, she's not in suit, but she can sure put up one hell of a fight if she needs to.

"Then I guess I'll have to take it from ye," he spits, pulling a knife out of his hoodie's front pocket and taking another step towards her.

Marinette shakes her head, fear striking her like a bolt of lighting. "Please don't do this."

"Yeah," a new voice drawls from somewhere overhead, "how about you don't, hmm?"

The man looks as surprised as Marinette feels. She squints through the mist that has taken form around them, but she is unable to see the newcomer.

A loud crunch of snow has Marinette blinking and taking a shocked step away from the lean outline that is now standing five feet in front of her, blocking the hooded man from sight.

"W-what the hell?" the criminal stutters, holding his knife out in front of him and taking a defensive step back.

Something makes a whipping noise, and the fog around the mysterious figure clears, revealing two arms clad in black leather twirling a metal pole. No, not a pole... a baton.

Marinette inhales at the realization.

_Chat Noir?_

"I think it's time for you to leave now," Chat suggests coldly, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"Why should I?" the idiot asks stupidly, still holding his knife out in front of him.

Chat chuckles darkly. "Because you came after my favorite civilian."

Marinette's face screws up.

"Oh," he adds, "and I can also break every bone in your body. So here's what's gonna happen." He takes a step towards the cowering man with the hood pushed over his eyes. "You're going to leave now and never show your face again. Nobody gets hurt, and we all walk away from this unharmed." Chat raises his hands up surrender. "What's it gonna be? The easy way, or the hard way?"

"Chat!" Marinette cries out, but she's too late.

The man has already lashed out, leaving a long, daunting gash along Chat's chest. He grunts in pain, and the man takes off running.

"He just had to choose the hard way," Chat grounds out, shaking his head and craning his neck to look at Marinette. "Wait here, please." And with that, he's gone.

A few moments later, there's a distant shout and the sound of metal clashing. Then, there's a nasty crunch; so different than that of a foot connecting with snow.

Marinette covers her mouth with her hands. Is this what Chat Noir does in his free time? Patrols the ghettos of Paris and murders criminals?!

For some reason, tears blur her eyes. The thought of Chat being a murderer scares the life out of her. Who would've ever suspected...?

Suddenly, he's in front her, his breathing slightly faster than usual. Blood drips idly from his wound, hitting the snow and turning it a deep scarlet.

"Are you okay?" he asks worriedly, taking a step towards her.

Marinette stumbles back, her heart halting in her chest. "D-did you kill him?"

Chat's face screws up in disbelief. "What? No! I'm a superhero, Marinette. Killing bad guys isn't part of the MO."

Marinette's mouth forms an 'o' shape, and she crosses her arms. "What happened to him, then?"

"I broke his nose."

"Why?!"

"He pissed me off."

"Chat!" Marinette fusses. "You can't break some dude's nose for pissing you off!"

"Oh, like you wouldn't have," he says flippantly, rolling his eyes. "He also left me this beauty," he points out, indicating the gash trickling more blood by the second.

"That looks bad," Marinette blurts stupidly.

The part of the mask where Chat's eyebrow is lifts. "Thanks?"

Marinette face-palms. "I'm sorry, you're right. You just... saved my life. Thank you."

Chat nods. "Any time." He turns to leave.

"Wait," Marinette says, reaching out—intending to stop him.

Chat glances back at her. "Yes?"

She withdraws her hand. "Are you okay?"

He smiles softly. "Nothing a little time can't heal."

"But your wound needs to be dressed."

"Well, I don't see myself explaining what happened here to the doctor."

"I can do it," she offers softly. "Dress it, I mean."

Another eyebrow raise. "Is that an invitation?"

"Well, you did save my life," Marinette admits sheepishly, wringing her fingers together.

"That I did."

"Might take me awhile to get home, though," Marinette murmurs, embarrassment lodging its way into the forefront of her emotions. "I'm a bit lost."

"Need a lift?" Chat offers, extending his baton and his hand.

Marinette purses her lips in consideration. Walk home or get there in, like, two minutes with her safe and protective partner in justice? Hmm...

"Please."

Chat cracks a smile, and Marinette takes his hand. She climbs onto his back and wraps her legs tight around his abdomen.

"Are you ready?"

Marinette nods, and Chat takes off. The wind whips past them wildly, and Marinette's stomach drops out from under her. She's so used to being in control when going this fast; it's scary to have to rely on someone else to keep her safe.

Chat laughs when she grips him tighter, adrenaline and euphoric nerves bubbling in her chest.

"Having fun?" he shouts, barely audible over the howling wind.

"Totally!" Marinette replies with just as much vigor, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

Chat whoops, energy practically rolling off of him in gargantuan waves. Marinette finds a giddy smile stretching her face, her demeanor completely affected by Chat Noir's enthusiasm.

 _'He handles being a superhero so much differently than I do,'_ she notes thoughtfully. _'I see it as duty, and he sees it as—'_

"CHAT! OH MY GOD! TOO HIGH, TOO HIGH—AHHHHHH!"

_'—fun.'_

They fall from much too high up in the sky. The ground swells under them at the speed of light, and Marinette hangs on to her idiotic partner for dear life.

And then everything stops.

Marinette exhales shakily, hair frazzled and ears numb from the cold. She dismounts from Chat's back and lands on the floor of her balcony. She simply stands there for a moment, blinking the layer of frost out of her eyes.

Then she turns and slaps Chat's arm. "You jerk!" she shouts, hitting him again.

He laughs and catches both of her wrists. She struggles, but without her super-suit, she's at a disadvantage.

"Aw, c'mon," Chat chuckles quietly, leaning in closer to Marinette's face. "Tell me you didn't love that."

"I didn't love that," she states stubbornly, poking her tongue out at him before trying to pull out of his grip.

"Meow." Chat grins, relinquishing his hold on her.

Marinette rolls her eyes and pulls open the trapdoor leading into her room. "Are you going to come inside, or are you going to stand here turn into a popsicat?"

Chat's expression flattens at her pun (which she can barely believe she just made), and he trudges past her, announcing, "I have never been more ashamed to be associated with you in my life."

It's Marinette turn to laugh, and she follows him into the warmth of her room.

Three minutes later, she finds herself asking him something she never thought she'd have to ask.

"Can you..." She cringes before trying again. "Is it possible for you to..." Unable to finish the question, she vaguely motions at his chest, cheeks pinking as she glances away.

"Can I...?"

"Oh shut up, you know what I mean," Marinette snaps, huffing when Chat begins to crack up.

He complies to her unspoken request, pulling down on the bell at the top of his suit. To Marinette's surprise, it slides down easily, exposing his bloodied (but admittedly defined) chest.

She coughs to hide her utter humiliation at the position she's landed herself in. _'I mean, how ridiculous is this?'_ she screams internally. _'First of all: I had no idea that there was a zipper on that thing. Second: I didn't think ahead to the part where Chat would have to UNDRESS? And third: WHY THE HELL IS HE HOTTER THAN I'VE EVER GIVEN HIM CREDIT FOR?!'_

Chat looks up at her through his blonde lashes, a much-too-innocent-to-be-real look glinting in his bright eyes of emerald. "Is something wrong?" he queries, his smug, sultry voice dripping with pride and... flattery?

"Of course not," Marinette fumes, collecting the roll of paper towels she'd snagged from the kitchen. "Just thinking about what we're having for dinner tonight."

Chat hums, clearly not buying it. "I see."

 _'Do you now?'_ Marinette snaps internally, utterly frustrated with her predicament.

Marinette clears her throat and takes the seat next to him on her chaise. After taking a deep breath to calm her indignancy, she gently pushes the shoulders of Chat's suit down his arms, stopping when the suit is halfway down his biceps.

She tries so hard, honestly, not to stare. She knows better!

_Self-control, Marinette. Self-control._

The bluenette busies herself with examining the wound. Her fingers trace around the sensitive area, and she notices Chat's jaw constrict.

"Does this hurt?" Marinette queries, surprise coloring her voice.

"A little," Chat admits softly, looking down at the gash. "More than I first thought."

Marinette hums thoughtfully before reaching for the first-aid kit she'd dug out. She opens it with a small click and searches the container for some Neosporin. She sets the ointment on her lap and picks up the damp hand towel she'd also collected from downstairs.

Chat nods at her, though his eyes crinkle in worry.

"I'll be careful," Marinette reassures him, dipping forward and placing a hand on his shoulder. His skin is on fire beneath her, and she rears back in surprise. "Are you feeling okay?"

Before Chat can even answer, Marinette is pressing the back of her hand to his forehead, then standing up and pressing her cheek to his forehead. The skin is flaming to the touch, and she uses the wet hand towel to wipe the cold-sweat dripping from the tips of his hair and forehead.

"You have a fever!" she fusses, dabbing at Chat's face almost obsessively. "Are you alright? Do you need to go home? Then again, how would you explain this gash to your parents? Is it because you've been outside for so long? Not saying I'm not grateful for the save, but you shouldn't be out in the col—"

"Marinette!" Chat cuts her off, chuckling and placing his hands on her shoulders. "I'm okay. I'm not going to die."

Marinette blushes scarlet, embarrassed for having rambled on. "I know," she states stubbornly, "but sometimes I go off on tangents when I get stressed out and worried."

"Well, I'm glad to know you care," Chat says, the corner of his lips perking up in the beginnings of a smirk.

"Of course I do, you dumb alley cat."

_You're my partner. One of my best friends._

They sit in surprised silence for a minute, and Marinette starts dabbing lightly at the gash to quench the awkwardness.

"Does that make us friends?" Chat asks a couple of quiet moments later.

Marinette pulls a funny look. "I thought we already were friends."

"Well, we never formerly defined ourselves as friends."

"We've never really had the chance to. This'll hurt." Marinette tips some peroxide onto a towelette and begins dabbing the wound. Chat hisses in pain, but seemingly bites on his tongue.

"What's your favorite color?" Chat queries randomly, his radiant eyes staring holes into Marinette's cheek.

"Pink," she laughs, motioning around the room.

Chat chuckles before lifting an arm and pointing at the far side of Marinette's room. "Who's that?"

Marinette glances up and jumps when she sees who Chat's pointing at. "Oh!" she exclaims, an immediate blush staining her flaming cheeks. "Him! He's, uh, Adrien Agreste, son of my favorite designer, Gabriel Agreste. Love Monsieur Agreste's work!" She adds a nervous laugh at the end of her explanation. "What's your favorite color?"

"Either blue or green. I like both. You go to the school right next to here, yeah?"

"Mhm," Marinette hums, dabbing at the wound with a dry towelette. "Are you excited for Christmas?"

Chat seems to droop at the question. "Excited as a motherless boy can be," he mutters under his breath, just barely loud enough for Marinette to hear.

"Oh, Chat—"

"It's okay," he cuts her off, "I don't need your pity."

"I was just going to say that I hope you find her."

He looks up in surprise. "How'd you know she disappeared?"

"I didn't," Marinette reasons serenely. "I just guessed. No mother I can think of would leave a son like you, Chat. You have so many amazing qualities."

She begins applying Neosporin and fights the blush threatening to rise to her cheeks again. Why did she say that?

"So do you, Marinette," Chat says, a boyish grin shoving her worries aside.

She smiles softly, takes a long strip of gauze, and places it over his gash. She pats his chest. "Ta-da!"

Chat applauds politely, and they share a laugh.

When silence settles in the air, Chat scratches the back of his neck. "Thanks, Marinette."

Marinette smiles. "Consider it making us even. After all, you wouldn't have gotten that thing if I hadn't have gotten lost."

"True, true," he concedes, nodding his head and standing up. He offers her a hand, and she takes it, allowing him to yank her to her feet beside him. "Can I be honest?"

"When are you not?" Marinette snorts, recalling a few conversations she's shared with Chat as Ladybug.

He chuckles. "Got me there. See, the thing is...," he trails off, uncertainty coloring his voice as his gaze dances away from hers. He clears his throat and tries again. "The reason I was out and about in the first place is because I've been avoiding my father. Been a bit rebellious lately, and I'm bound to get in trouble soon. Can I stay a while longer?"

Marinette can already hear Tikki's reprimantions. A grin stretches her lips. "What are friends for?"

***   *   ***

Marinette clutches her stomach and rolls into Chat's shoulder, her laughs turning into wheezes as tears blur her eyes. "That doesn't even make sense!" she gasps, barely able to get the words out before another wave of laughter washes over her.

Chat joins her, his arm casually tossed over her shoulder. "I know! She just let it loose!"

"That's—that's just so weird!" she sputters, giggling until she snorts and claps a hand over her mouth. This just causes the two to dissolve into even more giggles. They poke and prod one another, no longer watching the cheesy Christmas movie playing on Marinette's laptop.

Marinette collapses against her partner in justice and dips her hand into the bowl of popcorn resting on his lap. Another wave of laughter attacks her when she chucks a hand full of popcorn at him and jumps away.

"Hey!" he sputters, chewing up the popcorn pieces that had landed in his mouth. "Is that any way to treat your guest?"

Marinette purses her lips and taps her chin, feigning a thoughtful look. "Hmm... Well, I'm usually a lot more hospitable, but I've recently taken in a stray, and he's been very distracting."

"Ohh," Chat drawls, nodding in agreement, "sounds rough."

"It is," Marinette says, shrugging. "Especially because he smells funny."

Chat laughs and shoves Marinette's shoulder lightly. She grins and pokes her tongue out at him.

He reaches for her laptop, and the time pops up at the top corner of the screen. **2:43 AM.**

"Whoa," Chat says, setting her laptop down, "time flies when you're having fun."

"I had no idea," Marinette admits drowsily, rubbing her eyes.

Chat hums and shuts her laptop, hurtling the room into darkness. "I should probably get going."

His outline moves, and Marinette reaches out and grabs his forearm. "Thanks again."

The silhouette of Chat's head turns. "Same to you. I had fun."

Marinette cracks a small smile. "Me too." And before she can comprehend what she's doing, Marinette is pulling Chat in for a hug.

He's clearly taken by surprise as well because he takes a moment to wrap his arms around her.

The last thing she remembers before completely blacking out is the light touch of leather scraping against her cheekbone.

***   *   ***

As the days draw on, the 'favorite civilian' visits become more and more frequent.

Marinette will change Chat's gauze-wrap, and the two will chat until the moon is far overhead. They mostly banter and talk about random things that pop into mind; sometimes they even discuss the day's akuma attack.

Though, for reasons Marinette can't explain, she never brings up Adrien.

Days blend into weeks, and weeks bleed into months. A strong shift pushes the pair's odd relationship past the infamous 'friendzone' into something unexpected and... unexplored.

On a night like any other, Marinette is simply changing Chat's gauze-wrap, as routine.

"It's looking a lot better," she notes aloud, applying the daily dose of Neosporin to the closed gash-turned scar.

"Yeah," Chat murmurs, seemingly troubled by whatever thoughts are bouncing around the inside of his head.

Marinette frowns, her brow creasing in worry. "Are you okay?" she queries, her hands stopping their usual soothing circles that rub the Neosporin in.

Chat closes his eyes, jaw working, before opening them again. An unfamiliar gleam glistens in their bright depths, and Marinette's heart stutters in her chest.

"No," Chat says quietly, something dark residing in his voice. "I just need to know when."

"When?" Marinette asks, her frown turning into a confused smile. "Did you hit your head, Chaton?" She giggles, flicking one of his cat ears before going back to rubbing the Neosporin in across his chest.

He catches her hands, and the action jolts her. She finds his eyes again, and the look brewing within them makes her skin come alive.

"I need to know when you'll acknowledge it." His eyes burn brighter by the second, intense passion and desperation leaking into them.

"Acknowledge what, Chat?" Marinette asks stupidly, attempting to pry her hands from his.

And suddenly, one of her hands is free while the other is resting over his bare chest. Over his heart.

It pounds against her hand, almost as if trying to break through the thick barrier of Chat's well-built chest and jump into her arms. Its rate steadily increases, and Marinette meets Chat's eyes again, panic rising within her.

"Why is it beating so fast?" she queries breathlessly, wishing to swallow the words and take them back because now her own heart is running a marathon in her chest.

"I don't know," Chat admits softly, his hand's grip loosening. "It wasn't supposed to be like this." His forehead touches hers, and Marinette finds herself breathing him in.

"Like what?" But she already knows the answer.

Their eyes meet.

Something swells within Marinette. Her lip quivers as his breath fans her face, smelling of a faint peppermint.

And like two rubber-bands that have been stretched much too far, they snap.

Marinette loses every inkling of self-control when they crash together, grabbing and pulling to get as close to one another as possible.

With every inhale between kisses, every lidded-glance exchanged, Marinette tries to tell herself to stop, that this wrong.

But how can something so wrong feel so right?

_Chat's right. It isn't supposed to be like this._

Oh, if only she could make herself _stop._

Now that they've broken down the barrier (more like now that they've blown it up with TNT), everything that has been bubbling between them for the last two months comes spilling out.

She can feel his every longing glance through each swirl of his tongue, can only guess the countless hours he's spent staring at his bedroom ceiling into the early hours of the morning, debating with himself through every content sound made.

And as much as she hasn't wanted to face it, Marinette would be lying if she said that she isn't falling in love with Chat Noir.


	2. It's the Right Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "On the first day of Christmas, my idiot self gave to me: a giant headache and a fever, yippee," Marinette sings groggily, coughing at the end of the verse.
> 
> She sniffles, utterly miserable. Once she had gotten home earlier that day, she'd fallen asleep instantaneously. She'd woken up at 9:04 PM and has been unable to fall asleep again.
> 
> It's now 9:36 PM, and Marinette rolls onto her side as flemmy coughs wrack her fatigued body. She reaches for her laptop, determined to distract herself from thinking about the one person she most certainly does not want to be thinking about. Okay, two people.
> 
> Her fingertips helplessly brush the surface of the laptop, and she slumps and groans into her blankets.
> 
> "Is that a damsel in distress I hear?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaaaaaay second part let's #go.

A week flies by. Not a word of what happened on that one Friday night is uttered. Chat hadn't visited the following Saturday or Sunday, and when he had showed up on Monday, he had given no hint to remembering what had even happened on Friday evening.

And Marinette is most certainly _not_ okay with it.

While Chat Noir has been laughing and joking like everything is all dandy and _normal,_ Marinette has been having constant internal panic attacks.

Right after the kiss had happened, Chat had stuttered some lame-ass excuse and had booked it the heck out of there. Maybe the kiss had surprised him, too.

The ghost of his lips against hers has been torturing her _constantly;_ a painful reminder of what she'd let herself succumb to.

Oh, and Marinette doesn't even want to bring up how blithering _awkward_ akuma battles have been with him.

Yikes.

But, oh no, not only has she been reminded of her betrayal to her crush, Adrien, over and over again, but Adrien _himself_ has been trying to talk to her in school! Like, more than usual! And, lord save her, Marinette has not known what to say to him.

_"Hey, Marinette. What's new?"_

_"Adrien! Hey! Um, you know... stuff."_

'Stuff?' Really, Dupain-Cheng?

_"Marinette! I was wondering if you and Alya would like to join Nino and I for lunch?"_

_"Oh, uh, sure, Adrien! Sounds cool!"_

And then she had run away. Smooth, no?

_"Wow, Marinette. You're so good at History. Think we could study together some time?"_

_"Uhh haha okay!"_

Cue the sarcastic clapping.

Adrien had literally asked her on (what sounds like) a study date, and all Marinette could muster was a 'haha okay.'

What is happening to her?

"...which I thought was _completely_ ridiculous, and—"

_Craaaaaaap Alya's been talking. Maybe I can catch on to what she's been saying._

"—then we murdered her sister via a pair of socks."

"What?!" Marinette yelps, her stool wobbling haphazardly under her as she nearly tips backwards.

Alya cocks an eyebrow, her lips pressing into a thin line. "I knew you weren't listening to me."

Marinette drags her hands down her face. "I'm sorry," she says, her voice muffled by her hands.

"You've seemed..."

_Irritated? Frustrated? Stressed? Pissed off?_

"...different, lately."

"Really?" Marinette pulls a fake smile her voice rising a couple of pitches. "How so?"

"Well," Alya hums, "for starters... You turned down a freakin' study date with Adrien Agreste, your year-long crush and love of your _existence!"_

"I did not turn him down!" Marinette exclaims, horror-struck that she'd been right about it being a date.

Alya face-palms. "He told me what you said in response."

"He did? When?" Marinette queries, nearly knocking a test-tube over with her elbow.

"This morning! He was so embarrassed, too!" Marinette's heart falls into the pit of her stomach. Alya's expression softens, and she places a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "Girl, I love you, but you need to get your head on straight."

Marinette relinquishes a sigh. "I know."

Alya's grim smile turns into a small smirk. "It's not too late to go for it."

Marinette's eye twitches. _'Yes it is.'_

"Oh, I don't know," Marinette says flippantly, waving her hand about, "it might be weird now."

_Yeah, weird that I no longer have a crush on him!_

It's taken her this long to figure it out, but Marinette no longer has feelings for Adrien. When had this happened?

Alya raises a concerned eyebrow. "Are you feeling alright, Mari?"

Marinette hesitates for a moment before responding, "Fine. Just... a little under the weather."

Alya presses a hand to Marinette's forehead. "Girl, you're burning up! I think you should go home."

"Ah." _'Shoot.'_ "I'm really okay, Alya," Marinette insists, a nervous smile curling her lips. Her eyebrow twitches idly.

Alya's eyebrows knit together. "You don't look too good." Her hand suddenly shoots up. "Madame Mendeleiev! Marinette isn't feeling well."

The teacher turns towards them, her shoulders set in their usual stiff stance. "Go to the nurse's office, Marinette."

"But—" But Madame Mendeleiev and her stony glare are already turning away, dismissing Marinette with the wave of her hand.

Marinette huffs, stoops down, grabs her bag, and trudges out of the classroom, avoiding Adrien's concerned gaze as she passes him.

***   *   ***

"On the first day of Christmas, my idiot self gave to me: a giant headache and a fever, yippee," Marinette sings groggily, coughing at the end of the verse.

She sniffles, utterly miserable. Once she had gotten home earlier that day, she'd fallen asleep instantaneously. She'd woken up at **9:04 PM** and has been unable to fall asleep again.

It's now **9:36 PM** , and Marinette rolls onto her side as flemmy coughs wrack her fatigued body. She reaches for her laptop, determined to distract herself from thinking about the one person she most certainly does _not_ want to be thinking about. Okay, two people.

Her fingertips helplessly brush the surface of the laptop, and she slumps and groans into her blankets.

"Is that a damsel in distress I hear?"

Marinette doesn't even have the energy to flip him off.

She doesn't lift her head from the mattress simply because her hopes of sinking into it and disappearing are still lively and strong.

As she's contemplating ways to strangle a cat with a pair of earbuds, he's lifting her up and setting her back against her pile of stiff pillows. She blushes and pulls her blanket over her head, utterly embarrassed that he has to see her like this.

"Are you okay?" he asks, concern lacing his voice. The weight of her laptop settles on top of her legs, and Marinette almost blesses him.

"Peachy," Marinette mutters sarcastically, stifling a sneeze.

He gently pulls the covers away from her flushed cheeks, a compassionate smile curling his lips. "How are you feeling?"

"Like craaaaaap," Marinette croaks, sniffling and covering her mouth with a fist as she begins to cough again.

She sits up, and Chat begins to rub small circles at the foot of her back. "I'm sorry."

Marinette shrugs. "Can't be helped." She flips open her laptop and logs in. "Want to watch a sappy Christmas movie?"

Chat lays down next to her, gently placing an arm around her shoulder. "What sappy Christmas movie _haven't_ we watched?"

With a smile, Marinette lays her head against his shoulder as she scrolls through Netflix. "Can't argue with that. Which one, then? Romance or comedy? Ooh, or action?" She looks at him expectantly before looking down, her nose brushing the spot right under his jawline.

While it's half-purposeful, it's also an accident. Chat shivers under her touch, and she pulls away quickly, pretending to be innocent and ignorant as to what she's just done.

"U-um," Chat stammers quickly, "I dunno. Maybe pick randomly?"

Marinette takes that small inkling of pleasure at having made him stutter before she shrugs. "Alright."

It doesn't take her long to pass out from exhaustion, bundled in warmth and a fast heartbeat that doesn't belong to her.

***   *   ***

The first thing that registers in Marinette's mind is: _'Saturday morning.'_

She stretches idly and hugs her pillow closer. After a moment, she frowns, her thumb gently scraping the pillow. Curious, she applies a bit of pressure. The pillow doesn't sink.

Eyes still closed, she explores the pillow with her fingers, brushing every inch she can. Her thumb runs up a small hill; a bridge in the fabric that is much too hard. It smooths out into a rounded surface, and she travels up until she runs into something much softer. Her fingers creep through the thicket of fluff.

To her surprise, the pillow rumbles contentedly under her, even shifting so she's in a more comfortable position. Startled, she pulls back to press against the portion of the pillow she's laying on. It's strangely hot under her touch, and she nuzzles towards the warmth, tossing a leg over the pillow and wrapping an arm around a large dip in the cotton.

_I don't remember cotton being so smooth._

_Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump._

_I also don't remember my pillow having a heartbeat._

Yesterday comes rushing back to Marinette, and she has to physically stop herself from jumping away.

_'Chat Noir,'_ she realizes with a start. _'He never went home last night.'_

He must have fallen asleep sometime after Marinette had! How could that lazy alley cat have been so reckless?

Then another thought occurs to her.

_He's not transformed._

Keeping her eyes firmly screwed shut, Marinette untangles herself from civilian-Chat, tempted to giggle when he grumbles in his sleep. She quickly sobers and grabs his (very firm) shoulder, shaking him.

"Chat," she hisses, "get up!"

And suddenly, another forehead is colliding with hers.

"Ouch," he murmurs groggily. "What on ear—oh _shit!"_

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Marinette mutters, rubbing her throbbing temple.

"Did you—?"

"No, I didn't see you," she answers swiftly. "And lucky, too. I would've if I hadn't have realized when I did."

"Ah." There's an exhale. Then: "I'm sorry 'bout this. Was more tired than usual, I guess."

"I want to yell and lecture you," Marinette admits, "but I won't. Just promise it won't happen again?"

Chat says nothing for a moment or two, and a frown curves Marinette's brow. "Chat?"

Finally, he utters, "You're so beautiful."

Marinette's face screws up, confusion and secret delight squirming inside of her as blood pools into her cheeks. "Now's really not the time for flattery, Chaton."

His weight shifts, and a shadow settles over Marinette's eyelids. His warm breath fans her face, surprisingly not wreaking of the morning at all. Hot fingers tilt her chin up, and Marinette knows he's leaning closer.

"Just once," he says quietly. "Only this one time."

Marinette scowls, but doesn't pull away. "Oh, so _now_ you want to address feelings? After a _week_ of avoiding it?"

Chat chuckles quietly, the sound sending shivers of pleasure down Marinette's spine. "Princess, I've been holding myself back all week."

His nose brushes hers, and she can practically feel the electricity buzzing in her veins. "Now, why would you do such a thing, mon minou?"

"Call it self-control," he replies easily, kissing the bridge of her nose.

Marinette hums, withdrawing into herself with a smile and a scrunched nose. "That's not really fair to those of us who have already figured out what they want."

"And what do you want?" Chat queries softly, kissing her eyelids.

"I want you to shut up and kiss me, you dumb ca—"

_Wish granted._

The kiss is sweet and languid at first, reminding Marinette of waves rolling over a shore. And then the current changes. Her breath stutters in her chest when he pushes her backwards. She rolls down slowly and blindly finds the back of his neck, playing with the baby hairs at the base of it.

He hums into the kiss, allowing Marinette to have full control over the tempo at which they move (a much appreciated sliver of power).

They pretty much go on at this pace for a few minutes or so, speeding up and slowing down again to breathe through their noses.

Lips swollen, Marinette finally pulls away from the kiss, shocks of what they just shared still pulsing through her. Her eyelashes flutter gently, only briefly revealing a blonde-haired silhouette masked by the sun. She only sees him flash a smile before her eyes flutter closed again.

"That," Chat says breathlessly, "was the best thing I've ever experienced in my life."

Marinette giggles, gently sweeping her thumb over her sensitive lips. "For the record, I had no idea what I was doing."

Chat chuckles. "Ditto."

This surprises Marinette. "Really?"

"Surprised?" His infamous smirk is present in his voice, and Marinette's lips press into a thin line.

"I don't know. I just always sort of thought...I don't know," Marinette mutters sheepishly, shifting uncomfortably in her overly large t-shirt.

"I've only ever had one...crush...before you, Marinette. Oh, speaking of her, we should talk about it."

Marinette grimaces.

_Talk about his first crush? No thanks!_

"Okay," she agrees quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind her hair.

Chat relinquishes a sigh, and the covers shift around Marinette. "You know Ladybug, right?" Marinette frowns weirdly. "Of course you do," Chat states stupidly. "The whole of Paris does. Anyway, she's...well, she was my first real crush."

Marinette's jaw falls open.

"And you're my second," he adds softly, embarrassment coloring his voice.

_'Actually,'_ Marinette corrects internally, _'I'm your first, too.'_

The irony almost makes Marinette want to laugh. What are the odds of him falling for her and getting over her just to fall for her again?

A pleased smile curves her lips. _'Guess he has a type.'_

"Go on," Marinette ushers, chewing the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing gleefully.

Chat clears his throat. "All I'm saying is... Ladybug is my best friend and my partner. Nothing more. I swear."

Marinette cocks an eyebrow. "Of course. I have faith that any feelings you had for her are gone...?"

"Definitely," Chat confirms quickly. "You've sort of...rocked my world."

Marinette giggles at the bashful admission. "I could say the same to you. What does that make us?"

Chat's quiet for a moment before he says, "I was kind of hoping..."

_Yes...?_

"...nevermind. Look, I've really got to go. This conversation is not over." And with a peck on the cheek, Chat hits the floor with a _thud_.

**"Plagg, claws out!"**

Relieved, Marinette finally allows her eyes to flutter open, taken aback by how bright the sun streaming through the windows is. She leans over her balcony railing, a small smile pulling at her lips.

"Goodbye, Chat," she says, pecking his lips when he stands on his tiptoes beneath her.

"Goodbye, Princess." His bright green eyes spark with emotion that makes Marinette's heart tingle pleasantly.

And with that, he disappears into the early morning.

***   *   ***

The day is fairly uneventful. Marinette practically falls asleep on her homework and anticipates Chat's visit.

Finally, at **4:37 PM** , he shows up, gorgeous carnations in hand. Marinette gasps and approaches him swiftly, eyeing the flowers in surprise.

"Those aren't even in season! How did you manage to get some?" she queries, awestruck by the vivid scarlet color they adorn.

Chat scratches the back of his neck, cheeks pinking. "Let's just say that I have connections." He offers them to her bashfully.

Marinette captures him in a hug, her heart thudding in delight. She pulls back and has the sudden urge to kiss him, but she holds herself back.

_'This isn't a free-for-all,'_ she reminds herself. _'I can't just kiss him whenever I want.'_

"I just wanted to start off by telling you why I left in such a hurry this morning," Chat states, taking a seat on Marinette's chaise and patting the space next to him. She sits down, curiosity getting the best of her. "I wanted to ask you something important, but I wanted to do it right," he explains, taking the flowers from her grasp and setting them aside so he can hold her hands.

Something in Marinette twinges happily. Is he going to do it?

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Chat starts warily, uncertainty wavering in his expression, "over the past couple of months, I've gotten to know you pretty well. I now consider you to be one of my best friends...but I've also fallen completely head-over-heels in...like...with you." Marinette's breath catches. "Maybe I just rush into such an important thing like that, but...I'd be honored if you'd make me the happiest superhero-themed cat alive and be my girlfriend?"

Marinette blinks. And stares. She mostly stares. When Chat's expression finally morphs into dismay, Marinette is snapped out of her ecstatic haze.

"Yes."

Chat blinks, seeming disbelieving. "Yes?"

"Yes!" Marinette confirms, a gigantic smile stretching her lips.

"Yes!" Chat fist-bumps boyishly before picking Marinette up and twirling her around in circles like a dork.

She laughs, bursting with happiness at the sight of his goofy, crooked grin.

_I'm his girlfriend. He's my boyfriend._

As soon as he sets her down, she stands on her tiptoes and pulls him down into a scorching kiss. It only lasts for a few seconds before she ends it with a laugh, but, man, does it feel nice.

A loud crash rattles Marinette's bedroom floor, and she and Chat stumble into her desk. She makes panicked eye-contact with him.

After another beat, she immediately begins screaming out her parents' names. When there's no response, tears brim her eyes, and the word 'no' repeats itself in her mind over and over again.

"Chat," she breathes, her breath hitching dangerously in her throat. "Chat, w-what—"

"I don't know," he says grimly, taking a step towards her, "but we have to get out of here."

"Chat," Marinette repeats, this time louder, "w-we can't... we can't—" She clutches her chest, and her breath leaves in erratic spurts. "Oh god," she blurts, sobs consuming her. "We have to—to go find them!" She tries to swallow the lump in her throat, but it only grows two-fold.

Chat takes another step towards her and sets a hand on her trembling shoulder. "We need to leave. Now."

"No!" she screams, shoving his hands off of her shoulders. "No, no! I won't leave them here! Maman! Papa!" she calls, stepping around Chat to listen for a response.

"Marinette!" Chat shouts, grabbing her by the waist. "We need to get out of here!"

The bluenette collapses into sobs against his chest, and Chat frantically searches the room for an exit. He finally decides on the trapdoor just above Marinette's bed and lifts her bridal-style into his arms.

"Come on," he coos softly, climbing the stairs to her bed. "I'm sure they're fine. Don't worry. Everything is going to be alright."

Pain, fear, grief, worry and so many more horrible emotions consume her in a torrent of despair, and the only thing she can seem to focus on is the steady increase of Chat's heartbeat.

The freezing wind immediately bites at every inch of her exposed skin, and Marinette shivers and presses her head against his chest.

Her rational thinking had flown out the window long ago, and all she can seem to focus on is about what's happening in the boulangerie.

Before she knows it, they're in the alleyway beside the boulangerie.

Marinette hops out of Chat's arms and stalks around to the front of her parent's bakery. She stares at the wreckage, a numbing sensation encapsulating her chest as she watches the small fires flicker. "M-my parents," she stammers tearfully. "Where are my parents?"

"Hey, hey," Chat soothes, turning her towards him and caressing her cheek with his thumb. "It's okay. I'm sure they're fine, Marinette. You need to calm down and keep your cool."

She sniffles, her pulse jumping despite the situation at hand. Finally, she admits, "You're right."

Chat smiles a small smile, and the notion warms Marinette from the inside-out. "Your parents are smart, just like you. They probably found a way out."

Marinette matches his small smile. "Thanks, Chat."

They duck back into the alley next to the boulangerie. "You should be safe here."

A girl clad in a red cotton dress with white piping, candy cane stockings, and emerald-green heels much too high to be comfortable comes parading out of what's left of Paris' favorite boulangerie. Her eyes glow an unnatural scarlet, and her platinum hair is pulled into two high twintails.

The akuma looks right at them, eyes alit with malice.

"On second thought," Chat begins comically, "maybe I should take you elsewhere."

He quite literally sweeps her off her feet and vaults away from the scene.

"Where are we going?" Marinette shouts over the howling wind, nostalgia tickling her mind.

"The Eiffel Tower! One of the most romantic places in all of Paris!" Chat answers loudly, glancing down at Marinette and wiggling his eyebrows. She laughs and flicks his nose, wiping up the remaining tears clutching her cheeks.

Chat lands on the highest off-limits platform and releases Marinette. She steps away from him and looks down to see hundreds of eyes staring up at them. "Please evacuate the area. There is an akuma on the loose," she announces loudly. The mass of people begin rushing towards the stairs.

_'Tourists,'_ Marinette thinks, rolling her eyes.

"We'll stay here," Chat states, motioning for Marinette to take a seat.

She frowns. "But—"

"No buts."

Marinette's frown morphs into a scowl, her brows furrowing and her lip puffing out in an irritated pout. _'I'm Ladybug, you imbecile. Let me help,'_ she wants to say.

Chat leans against the railing. "We should be safe here. Ladybug will probably be able to handle this akuma."

Marinette internally face-palms.

The Eiffel Tower creaks dangerously when something collides with it. Marinette is thrown off balance and stumbles towards the platform. Chat pulls her to her feet, and Marinette looks around anxiously.

"Chat," Marinette hisses, trying to pry her hand free from his, "you need to get me down from here so you can fight the akuma! There's no way Ladybug will be able to handle this on her own."

Chat turns to look at her, a sigh escaping his mouth. "You're right, Marinette," he admits, "but I can't let you get harmed." Marinette is boiling past her breaking point. Why can't this dang cat just go?

She can't blame him, she supposes. He doesn't know that she's his Lady. "Won't we be safer if more people surround us? The villain won't find us in the crowded streets," Marinette suggests, pointing to the heavily populated area below them.

_"You'll_ blend in nicely," Chat chuckles. "I, on the other hand, will stick out like a sore thumb."

Despite this thought, however, he lowers them into the streets below.

Marinette counts on the panicked crowd to separate them so she can find a decent place to safely transform without this cat hanging around. As much as she hates watching Chat getting ripped away from her, she knows it's necessary in order to take care of business.

After what feels like much too long a time to be running, Marinette stumbles across a nook in-between buildings. Relieved, she lets Tikki zip out of her little purse.

"Ready to go fight a super villain?" Tikki queries in her bell-like voice.

"You know it," Marinette fires back, adrenaline pumping through her.

**"Tikki, spots—"**

Chat suddenly lands in front of her, a worried expression adorning his face. "Marinette! Thank God you found a smart place to hide."

"Chat! Yes! I-I thought I lost you!" Marinette hopes her fake enthusiasm is enough to convince him that getting away from him was not her intention at _all_ , and that the crowd was the only thing keeping them apart.

He takes her by the shoulders and examines her face and body. "Nothing injured?"

Marinette purses her lips and rolls her eyes. "Shoo, silly," she says, shooing him with a flick of her wrist. "I'll be safe here. Go get that akuma!" Marinette prays that he'll go so she can transform and help him.

After a few moments of contemplation on his part, he says, "Fine. Stay safe and don't move, please."

Marinette nods and smiles lightly. "I'll be fine. Don't hurt yourself, okay?"

"Okay," Chat confirms, leaning down and kissing her softly.

And with that, her boyfriend (boyfriend!) extends his baton and vaults away.

Marinette sighs in relief. "I love that boy, but he can be bothersome in times like these," she mutters, a small smile gracing her lips.

Tikki giggles. "I wouldn't usually support the 'rendezvous' relationship, but I can't stop two people who were meant to be together."

A grin stretches her face as Marinette chants the magical phrase:

**"Tikki, spots on!"**

Marinette falls away as Ladybug chucks her yo-yo and flies through the clouded sky. It takes a moment or two for her to spot him standing atop a tall building in the distance.

She swiftly lands beside him, reminding herself that she's not Marinette right now, so she can't act all lovey-dovey with him.

When he says nothing, she looks up at him and smirks. "Cat got your tongue?" she asks smugly, raising an amused eyebrow.

Chat blinks, and his attention snaps to Ladybug. "Huh?"

Ladybug smiles confusedly. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Chat says, shaking his head. "Just worried about someone."

Ladybug smiles to herself. "Don't worry. I'm sure they're just fine."

Chat exhales slowly, his shoulders slumping. "I know."

**"I am Mistlefoe, and I'm going to destroy every piece of Christmas cheer there is!"**

Ladybug and Chat Noir turn around at the exclamation. The same akuma that Marinette had made eye-contact with has her back turned on them. She looms over a Christmas shop with a sign flashing _"Betty's"_ in neon red and green colors. She extends a hand outwards, showcasing a stunning pair of light brown leather gloves. The gloves glow red, and snow comes rushing off of a nearby roof. It gathers in a ball and hovers over the glove. Suddenly, it crystallizes into a clump of emerald, and Mistlefoe (without touching it) sends it hurtling towards the shop.

"No!" Ladybug shouts, jumping forward.

But she's too late.

The shop explodes as if a bomb had been chucked at it, leaving nothing but debris behind.

"What crawled up her stockings?" Chat queries sarcastically, crossing his arms.

"I don't know," Ladybug replies, stretching her yo-yo string as injustice kindles within her, "but it looks like we'll have to cut the Christmas caroling short."

She ignores his inquisitive eyebrow raise and yo-yos towards the villain from behind.

Mistlefoe suddenly turns on her, the outline of a bright purple butterfly tracing her eyes.

"You," she utters, the word sounding like an accusation.

"The name's Ladybug, and holiday break is over, Mistlefoe," Ladybug states, crouching into a defensive position and spinning her yo-yo at the speed of light.

An evil smirk stretches Mistlefoe's scarlet lips. "Wrong. Holiday break has only just begun, _Ladybug."_

Ladybug has the right sense of mind jumping out of the way (off the roof!) when shards of emerald come zipping towards her. She throws her yo-yo at a random balcony railing and dangles in place under it, hidden from view by the protruding ledge. She looks down to see Chat looking up at her from the ground. In seconds, he's level with her, balancing on his baton.

"You okay?" he asks, wobbling haphazardly on his weapon.

Ladybug nods. "Fine. We just need to be extra careful."

"Any ideas about the object?"

Ladybug's arms begin to shake with strain. "Yeah. Let's go somewhere a little less...inconvenient," she breathes.

Chat nods in agreement, and Ladybug sighs in relief when she lets go of her hold on the balcony.

"Where are we going?" Chat calls, staying level with her in the air.

"Mistlefoe's next stop!" Ladybug shouts back, turning around a street corner towards the famous seasonal shop now selling everything Christmas.

The shop is on a popular street corner, always selling whatever's in season.

It also happens to look like Christmas threw up on it.

Just slightly.

Ladybug lands in a roll in front of the store, Chat right behind her.

"We need to get everyone out of here," Ladybug states, eyeing the mass of people all doing last-minute Christmas shopping.

Chat nods. "I've got this. Take care of Drama Queen."

Ladybug nods, cracking a smile. "Will do."

Chat disappears from sight when he runs into the heavily furnished store smelling of a faint cinnamon, leaving Ladybug alone in the semi-busy streets.

Passersby start looking at her curiously, and she cups a hand over her mouth and shouts, "Everyone! Please safely and calmly evacuate the area! There is an incoming akuma straight ahead!"

"Wrong again, little bug."

Ladybug jumps in surprise and whirls around. Screams pierce the air as civilians begin frantically running away.

Mistlefoe cackles obnoxiously, twirling through the air and humming a merry little tune (literally) as she rises higher and higher. She finally stops at a certain height and poses dramatically.

"I think this shop could use a little... _redecorating_. Don't you, Ladybug?" she taunts malevolently, tracing little red shapes with her gloves in the air.

"Not particularly," Ladybug growls, taking a step back in preparation to launch herself into the sky.

"Ah!" Mistlefoe tuts, holding a single finger up. "If you move, the cute little shop goes _kaboom._ " She pauses to consider, tapping her chin before adding, "Then again, it'll go kaboom regardless if you move or not." She laughs humorlessly, gloves glowing red as she draws handfuls of snow to them.

"Don't count on it!" Ladybug shouts, throwing her yo-yo at Mistlefoe.

It wraps around the supervillain's foot, and Ladybug pulls on the string. She soars through the air, the distance between herself and Mistlefoe deteriorating at a rapid pace.

When Mistlefoe gets within reach, the bold superheroine tries for a snap-kick to the gut, but misses when the Christmas-nightmare-come-to-life jerks her yo-yo string in a different direction.

"Cut it out! I'm trying to destroy this eyesore!" Mistlefoe exclaims, motioning wildly at the Christmas shop.

Ladybug twists mid-air and re-chucks her yo-yo, hoping to get the upper hand.

But it seems that this akuma is always one step ahead.

Then again, so is her partner.

Just as Mistlefoe grabs the yo-yo and unwinds it from her foot, Chat swipes Ladybug out of the air, taking the yo-yo with him.

"Gloves." Is all Ladybug can say before she's leaping away from him to attack once more.

Which one? She isn't sure. Could be the right or the left. Either way, getting close enough to even snag _one_ is seeming harder by the minute.

Ladybug tosses her yo-yo at a lamppost and catapults herself towards Mistlefoe.

Said villain whirls on Ladybug and rolls her eyes. "This is getting rather irritating," she spits, landing a punch on Ladybug's side.

Aforementioned superhero sputters and gasps for breath before disconnecting her yo-yo from the lamppost mid-air and chucking it towards a street light.

The sound of metal clashing is the only tidbit of Chat's attempt at an attack Ladybug can grasp before she's throwing herself at Mistlefoe for what feels like the umpteenth time today.

"Leave me alone!" Mistlefoe screeches, the chunks of snow hovering over her palms crystallizing into emerald.

The supervillain aims both bombs at Ladybug, malice tracing her blood-red eyes as Ladybug lands on the ground blanketed in snow.

Ladybug, feeling panicked by the villain's quick temper, does the one thing that she's confident will help her situation.

**"Lucky Charm!"**

A ladybug-patterned box appears from thin air and falls from a tall point in the sky. The superheroine catches the box and examines the contents.

_Christmas lights._

A small smirk stretches Ladybug's lips. She makes eye-contact with Chat Noir, who raises an eyebrow, confusion evident in his facial expression. She winks.

"Alright," Ladybug calls up to Mistlefoe, "you win. Blow the shop up." She shrugs as nonchalantly as possible. "I know of a more Christmas-like place..."

Mistlefoe cocks an eyebrow, her shards of emerald turning to ash. "And why would you tell _me_ where it is?"

"I won't," Ladybug says simply. "I'm going to go and protect it from you."

And with that, Ladybug's swinging away from the scene, eyes scanning the city for a good place to 'set up shop.'

"What's the plan?" Chat shouts from about fifty feet away, confusion still scrawled across his expression.

"Just follow my lead!"

_Then again, what are the chances of Mistlefoe blowing up wherever I choose to lure her to?_

And then, she sees it. Tree after tree is taking on the ladybug pattern she's become so accustomed to.

_The park._

Ladybug splits open the package mid-fall, taking a handful of Christmas lights into her freezing fingers. She lands on the ground in a roll to cushion her fall and dashes across park.

"Chat Noir!" she shouts, throwing a handful of lights at him.

He hits the floor in a roll just as she had and catches them.

The two superheroes dash around the park, tangling lights in trees as quickly as humanly possible. Ladybug reaches the end of her linked lights and looks down at the red button in her hand.

She clicks it.

The park explodes.

Pfft, not literally haha.

Geez, tough crowd.

The park explodes with vibrant reds and greens. The snow glitters under the gentle touch of the lights, and Ladybug grins.

"Perfect."

"Now we wait?" Chat queries, jogging to a stop next to Ladybug and looking around.

"Yep. She won't be able to resist," Ladybug states confidently, placing her hands on her hips.

Chat eyes her, a question glimmering in his gaze.

"What?" Ladybug asks, cocking her head.

He blinks and shakes his head, breaking their eye-contact. "Nothing. You just remind me of someone."

Before Ladybug has the chance to say anything, a maniac cackling takes residence in the air above them. She looks up.

"I don't see how you're going to protect this place from me!" Mistlefoe shouts, twirling in delighted circles.

"We need to lure her down here," Ladybug mutters under her breath, hoping to be loud enough for Chat to hear.

"Haven't you gotten sick of this silly dance that we've been doing?" Chat calls up to her, yawning for extra effect.

Mistlefoe taps her chin, feigning consideration. Finally, she admits loudly, "No."

"Really?" Ladybug tacks on, sharing one of those 'yikes' looks with Chat Noir. "I guess it's because you're a bit more...boring than other akuma we've battled."

"You haven't even tried to take our Miraculous _once_ ," Chat points out, shrugging. "Hawk Moth really knows how to pick 'em, huh?" he asks Ladybug jokingly, nudging her shoulder.

She giggles into her fingers, stealing a glimpse at the fuming supervillain coming closer to the ground every second.

"Do you _want_ me to take your Miraculous, oh mighty superhero duo?" Mistlefoe asks icily (ack), toes about ten feet away from touching the ground. "I can take them. You two haven't exactly been very hard to fight off."

Chat feigns a gasp, touching his chest with a clawed hand. "Did you hear that, LB? I think she's underestimating us."

Ladybug chuckles lowly, taking a step towards the supervillain. "Rule number one:"—Ladybug suddenly flicks her yo-yo out, tangling Mistlefoe's hands together—" _Never_ underestimate us." She yanks none too lightly on her yo-yo string, and Mistlefoe, too surprised to properly react, hits the snowy ground very hard. "Rule number two:"—Ladybug slowly strolls over to the supervillain who's now struggling against her binds and squats down to her level—"Don't let us distract you."

Ladybug, being quick with her instincts, jumps back right on time. The space around Mistlefoe explodes—courtesy of all of the snow in the area being crystallized into bombs.

"Now, Chat!" Ladybug shouts over the sound of debris falling around them.

Chat vaults into the air towards Mistlefoe. Ladybug, hearing her earrings beep for the third time, throws her yo-yo. It successfully wraps around Mistlefoe's left hand, and Ladybug pulls with all of her might.

Mistlefoe comes shooting towards her, eyes wide.

"Rule number three—"

**"Cataclysm!"**

"No!" the akuma screams, face alit with realization.

"—Don't think for a second that you'll win."

Everything seemingly happens in slow motion.

Chat corkscrews right into Mistlefoe, cutting off her insanely fast fall towards Ladybug. Ladybug releases her grip on the akuma, allowing her magical yo-yo to come zipping back to her.

Her partner and the akuma go flying in a completely different direction.

Everything speeds back up, and Ladybug blinks, reaching out for them.

They hit the snow some thirty feet away, and Ladybug runs towards them.

"Chat?" she calls, worry settling in her stomach. "Did you get it?"

Ladybug stops about five feet away from them, waiting with baited breath as her Miraculous chirps for the fourth time.

The familiar black substance that always melts off of akumatized victims makes an appearance, dripping down Mistlefoe's body to reveal a teenage girl.

Ladybug splits open her yo-yo, a triumphant smirk curling her lips. "No more evil-doing for you, little akuma. It's time to de-evilize!" She flows through the routine fluidly, spinning her yo-yo and snagging the akuma attempting to escape. "Gotcha!" Ladybug catches her yo-yo and hurriedly releases the pure white butterfly. "Bye bye, little butterfly."

The superheroine waves at the receding butterfly, pride swelling in her chest. She jogs over to the the end of the chain of Christmas lights and yanks. The lights dangling from nearly every tree in the park come rushing towards her, and she tosses the end of the chain in the air.

**"Miraculous Ladybug!"**

Thousands of ladybugs swell in all different directions, disappearing from sight to go and fix all damage done.

Ladybug's earrings beep incessantly, and she quickly runs over to Chat and helps him off the ground.

"Pound it!" she says hurriedly, bumping her fist against his. "Gotta go bye!"

And with that, half of the superhero duo swings off.

"Gotta go gotta goooo," Ladybug mutters, racing to find the nook in the building Chat Noir had last seen Marinette hiding in. "Where is it?"

Her earrings, now having little heart attacks, warn her of her near detransformation.

_Crap! I'm, like, a hundred feet off the ground!_

Marinette's scream pierces the snow-filled sky as her spandex suit dissipates, leaving nothing but her civilian cotton clothes and snow jacket behind.

_Welp. This is how I die. Thanks, Tikki._

Marinette screws her eyes shut, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

"Marinette? What the hell?!"

Marinette's eyes fly open, and she forces her neck to crane to the right. "Chat?" she whispers.

And suddenly, she's in his arms.

The impact is rough, and pain rams into her like a freight train. Her neck snaps back, and Marinette grunts in pain.

"Thanks," she manages weakly, giving him a small thumbs-up.

He looks down at her, angry amusement shining in his bright eyes. "What happened to you staying put?"

Marinette shrugs. "I like adventures."

Chat's expression goes flat, and Marinette can't help but laugh.

"I told you to stay put to protect you," Chat says, sighing and looking down at her. "If I was even a second late... You could've died, Mari. Do you realize how serious that is?"

Marinette shifts uncomfortably in his arms, cringing when he lands on a roof and jostles her. "I know...I'm sorry. I wanted to stay put, but people, uh, kept telling me it was unsafe." The lie feels dirty on her tongue, but she knows it's necessary in this case.

Chat finding out that she's Ladybug? Yeah, _that'd_ blow over well.

Chat's face suddenly screws up. "Mind telling me how, exactly, you ended up falling out of the sky? And don't tell me that you're an angel. I already know that."

Marinette cracks a smile, her cheeks warming. "Flirt."

"Ah," he warns. "Don't try and change the topic."

"I wasn't!" Marinette insists stubbornly, laughing nervously. "I was just...speculating..."

"I'm gonna have to drop you if you don't tell me," Chat taunts, a hint of a smile teasing his lips.

Marinette feigns a gasp. "You wouldn't."

Chat shrugs. "Okay."

His grip on her loosens, and Marinette startles, grabbing onto him much tighter than before. "Chat!" she screams, wrapping her arms around his neck. "That is so not funny!"

Chat chuckles and adjusts her position, stealing a quick kiss. "I'd never drop you, Princess."

Marinette huffs indignantly, a blush staining her cheeks.

"You never answered my question," Chat points out, landing on a familiar balcony.

Marinette takes this as her cue to step out of his firm hold. After a moment of thinking about how to reply, she says, "I was...trying to see what was going on. I got worried about you. But when I finally made it onto the roof of the highest building I could find near the park, the snow had iced over, and I slipped." Marinette giggles lightly. "Guess I got too close to the edge."

Chat looks at her for a moment, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

For a second, Marinette worries about her identity. Does he not believe her? Has he figured it out? Is he upset?

Finally, he shrugs, seemingly taking the excuse in stride. "I guess that makes sense. You need to be more careful, Mari. I don't want you to get caught in the crossfire. If Hawk Moth knew about you...," he trails off, eyes glinting uncertainly.

Marinette wraps her arms around his neck. "I know, I know. I should've stayed put. I'm sorry." She pecks his nose, hoping that'll drive her apology home.

Chat's expression softens, and Marinette internally coos when he wraps his arms around her waist.

_Awww, he must really like me._

The other 'L' word pops into her head, but she quickly shoves it aside. Yeah, it's been two months, but they only started dating _today_. Dropping the 'L' word on him might be too much for him to handle right now.

A thought occurs to her, and she unwinds her arms from around his neck. "You must be exhausted!" She sure is. "Let's get you inside. I can probably sneak some food up for you."

Marinette ushers Chat towards her trapdoor, and the two slip into the warmth of her bedroom. Marinette, on a mission, immediately starts making her way down the stairs that lead up to her bed, food on the brain.

"Hey, Mari?" Chat calls quietly, loud enough for Marinette to turn around and look at him.

"Hmm?" she hums, warming further under his heavy gaze.

"Merry Christmas Eve."

Marinette finds herself smiling. "Yeah. You, too."

She spins on her heel to continue her mission, but the sound of a door shutting softly behind her has her turning around again.

Her bed is now empty, but a small piece of folded paper is in the spot where Chat had been sitting.

Curious, she approaches it and climbs up her stairs again. She plops down on her mattress, picks up the folded piece of parchment, and unfolds it.

Chat's surprisingly neat handwriting decorates the page, and she begins reading.

**_Marinette,_ **

**_I've been thinking about this for a long time. I know I won't know how to say this to you in person, so I've written you a note. I'll probably give this to you tomorrow (or today, as you're reading it). Honestly, you've done such a good job at hiding it. I never would've thought unless I'd come to know and care about you. Your mannerisms are too similar for it to be pure coincidence, and I can't ignore the way Ladybug's been looking at me lately. How you've been looking at me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe you've known me better than you've been letting on, M'Lady. I'm not upset, if that's what you're thinking. Our identities are important, and it took me weeks to be sure about yours. I just want you to know that you being Ladybug doesn't change anything. You're still...you. You're still my best friend. And, one day, I hope to be more to you._ **

**_\- Chat Noir_ **

Marinette nearly drops the piece of paper.

After a moment or so, a goofy smile stretches her lips.

_Well played, Kitty. Well played._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-da! Ah, that felt like it took 8,000 years to write. That's the conclusion of Luna and I's Christmas collaboration! It was a wild ride of figuring out the Lucky Charm (hard to do, btw) and writing the scenes to make them realistic enough to the show (also hard).
> 
> A/N from Luna: I love you all and miss you more than you know. Jadie and I worked extremely hard on this, so make sure you show her some love by commenting. We'd both really appreciate it. Mucho love to you all <3
> 
> Dear God, we're extra. XD
> 
> Have a very Merry (albeit, late) Christmas, AO3!
> 
> Xoxo, J & L.


End file.
